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Fayetteville Council OKs $2.3M to Stand Up Office of Community Safety; Residents Press for Oversight and Transparency
Summary
The council unanimously approved a $2.3 million budget action to begin staffing the Office of Community Safety, authorizing two hires and exploratory contracts for alternative responses. Community members urged town halls, a spending breakdown and stronger independent oversight following recent policing concerns.
FayettevilleCity Council on Dec. 9 approved a $2.3 million budget action to begin staffing the Office of Community Safety (OCS), authorizing the city to hire two positions and to pursue contractual partnerships for non-police responses to certain 911 calls.
City Manager Hewitt said the funding will ‘‘move the money from where it is so we can spend it’’ and allow the city to recruit two staff members and explore partnerships with service providers to provide mental-health and alternative response supports; he said initial reports back to council are expected in January and a more complete update by February. Council voted unanimously to approve the motion.
The decision followed public comments urging transparency in how OCS money will be spent. Angela Tatum of Fayetteville Freedom for All, who addressed the council during public forum, asked that the city hold town halls and provide a clear breakdown of the $2,300,000, noting community interest in independent oversight, mental-health response and an unhoused response as pillars of OCS. "We know that $2,300,000 is for the Office of Community Safety," Tatum said, and asked staff to explain how those dollars will be allocated.
Advocates at the meeting also pressed for stronger police accountability alongside the new office. Kathy Greggs of the Fayetteville Police Accountability Community Task Force reminded the council of recommendations from the governor's task force and state-level reports calling for civilian oversight structures. Lizette Rodriguez asked the council to use existing tools such as sentinel event reviews in cases of deaths in police custody, citing the family's outstanding questions about the death of Lawrence Ortiz.
The action passed as a budget housekeeping/authorization vote that moves the funds into spendable status; city staff said the program will pair hired staff with contracted service providers and will include reporting requirements to the council. No procedural objections were raised; the motion carried unanimously.
